Uhuru punishes DP Ruto ally CS Kiunjuri, rewards PS Kibicho with more powers in mini re-organisation

President Uhuru yesterday clipped the powers of embattled Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and gave more responsibilities to Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho making him a super PS to the chagrin of his nemesis DP Ruto

In a new executive order, Uhuru moved the lucrative irrigation department from Kiunjuri’s Agriculture ministry to the Water and Sanitation docket, leaving PS Fred Segor’s fate in limbo.

Simon Chelugui will now be in charge of the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation.

The president has previously reprimanded Kiunjuri over graft at the ministry after it emerged that cartels pocketed billions meant for genuine maize farmers.

Uhuru handed PS Dr Karanja Kibicho the Immigration docket, which was left vacant after Dr Gordon Kihalangwa was moved to the ministry of Defence as PS.

Under the new dispensation, the new docket will now be known as the State Department of Irrigation and Citizen services, putting Kibicho at the heart of issuance of passports.

In another show of confidence in powerful minister Fred Matiang’i, Uhuru handed the Presidential Delivery Unit to the Interior docket.

The move further elevates the ‘super minister’ whom the president early this year appointed the chairman of the influential national development implementation and communication cabinet committee.

In his role, Matiang’i has been overseeing national government development programmes and projects while chairing weekly cabinet meetings.

The president’s delivery unit is a critical organ that has been operating from the executive office of the president with responsibilities to tack and monitor the progress of development projects across the country.

The president also gave Matiang’i more responsibilities by handing him the department of directorate of national cohesion and values which has been under the executive office of the president.

The directorate was established in 2008 to spearhead the promotion of national cohesion and integration, and national values and principles of governance. It was initially under the Interior docket but was moved to State House in a reoganisation of government in 2016.